Poll: Microsoft 365, Google Apps and AWS Strong, but What About IBM?

While Google Apps, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Office 365 are among the top cloud platforms being leveraged by channel partners, Talkin' Cloud's readers are also turning their attention to other platforms.

Of participants in last week's (unscientific) poll, which asked readers about their planned use of particular cloud platforms this year, 24 percent said they use cloud platforms other than the three choices provided. So who are the cloud vendors that make up that 24 percent?

One company to think about in 2014 might be the technology giant known as IBM. Big Blue has made its focus on cloud computing clear, and this week released a strategy report to investors that stated that it will be "remaking enterprise IT for the era of the cloud."

Last month the company invested another $1 billion in its cloud business to deliver new platform-as-a-service (PaaS) capabilities to connect data and applications to the cloud. The resulting PaaS combines IBM software, third-party and open technologies; brings its middleware portfolio to SoftLayer; and expands services on Softlayer.

Also last month, IBM unveiled plans to acquire privately held database-as-a-service (DBaaS) provider Cloudant as part of its effort to extend its big data and analytics, cloud computing and mobile services. IBM said the acquisition will accelerate the development of mobile and web applications.